Sand of Love
by shinenagai
Summary: Gaara and Hinata had many similarities. Both of them were lonely, both of them hid their sorrows, and both of them needed love. They were searching for love in their lives.


**Sands of Love**

_Love is built from some small affection... for parable, like sand... but when it become in a unity... it would be toughest ever..._

I was on a mission right now in Konohagakure. It's not like the mission before, where our job was helping Otogakure to war with Konohagakure. No, I wouldn't do that anymore. Now that I had friends that love me myself in here.

The mission was to meet the Godaime Hokage for some discussion. I was companying Tsume-san, an important Representative from Sunagakure right then. Companying could be called like that instead of being called as his Bodyguard. Now he's in the meeting room with the Hokage, for some reason I didn't know why. But Tsume-san said that this is an important mission, _a very one_.

I know I was a very skilled Shinobi that feared by all, I was deadly, and merciless. So everybody, include myself, though it's normal if I've been chosen as his bodyguard in this kind of mission. _Alone_. So our journey wouldn't be noticed by many enemies because the two of us were in a small party.

Well, I didn't care about it anyway. I just loved any kind of mission that would allow me to kill as many as I like. This mission level is A, so the risk was bigger, and also the chance for killing.

"Gaara-kun," Tsume-san already went out from the room. But I didn't see the Godaime Hokage around him.

"Is the meeting over yet?" I stood up from where I sat.

"No, it's not over yet. Maybe it'll take a long time. Instead of waiting for me, why don't you take a walk around the village, and meet your old friend?" said Tsume-san beneath his veil.

That's strange. Tsume-san usually would never give me any free time if I am guarding him.

"Be honest, Tsume-san. Whose idea is it? You'll never have such a dumb idea like this," I frowned.

"Well, actually it's mine, Gaara-kun!" said the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade-sama, as she appeared behind Tsume-san's back.

"You, Tsunade-sama?" I asked.

"Yes! You haven't met your friends for a long time, right? So I think it's the right time for reunion!" Tsunade-sama grinned.

"Unfortunately, for me it's not the right time. I'm in my mission, Tsunade-sama," I said.

"I know about it, Gaara-kun! But Tsume-kun and I have made a deal! You could play outside now, Konoha is open for you!" Tsunade-sama patted her right hand on my back. I shrugged; I didn't like anybody to touch me.

Actually I would really like to left right now, I was totally bored with the waiting. Maybe if I went outside, I would have met some sparing partner that could help me get rid of my boredom. I would really like to leave, honest, if I wasn't stuck in my duty right now.

"Tsume-san, May I?" I faced him; I didn't care if my voice was half begging.

"Do as you wish, kid. Now, can we continue the meeting, Hokage-sama?" Tsume-san turned to Tsunade-sama.

"Right away, Representative-sama! And Gaara, I guarantee that you'll have your time! Maybe I should ask Shizune to accompany you?" Tsunade-sama asked.

"No, but thanks anyway, Tsunade-sama. I'm leaving now," I left the Hokage and Tsume-san. As I left the building, I had not decided yet where to go.

I did have friends in Konoha, but I didn't know where they usually hanging out. I was about to heading back to the building for more waiting, when I remembered about a small restaurant. _Ichiraku Ramen_. If I was not mistaken, I've ever heard Naruto-san mentioned it as his favourite place. Maybe, if I was lucky, I would meet him right there.

When I entered Ichiraku Ramen, the room filled with people whom I didn't know, and no Naruto was there. The only Naruto I saw there was '_Naruto_' inside the Ramen bowl. I sighed and left the restaurant. Where else I could meet people that I know? Now I was quite far from the Meeting Building, and I had been too lazy to go back there. Even if I used the transport jutsu, it would only just waste my _chakra_. I might be needed it when there was sudden attack.

I then decided to go wherever my steps brought me, while hoping someone I knew would acknowledge my presence and greeted, and I supposed that it wouldn't be from the range of 50 meters.

Now I've arrived on _Sabaibaru_ field, where Naruto-san said that he and his team usually trained up. He also said that he was ever made a promise to someone precious here, right before the final _Chuunin_ exam.

"Ga- Gaara-kun, _ne_?" a hesitated voice had greeted me from behind of my back. I turned around and I saw the precious person Naruto ever mentioned about.

"Hai, Hinata-san," I greeted her back. She smiled at me with her blushing cheek, which I knew it as a habitual action.

"W- What are you doing h- here...?" She played with the hem of her jacket, looking nervous as I kept my eyes on hers.

"Mission," she flinched as I told her this. Maybe she was thinking about the war mission I attended in Konoha before.

"No, it wasn't like the mission before. For God sake I won't do that anymore. I'm here to guarding a representative from Suna, Tsume-san. He's on a meeting with Tsunade-sama," I explained and had added an awkward thin smile, tried to comfort her, so she wouldn't bolt from the field. I needed a friend, and if she's gone, I didn't know who else will accompany me.

"Oh, b- but then Gaara-kun, w- why are you here? I s- suppose that you should be on Godaime-sama's place," she asked again, looking quite relieved after I told her about my present mission.

"Well, I was there when Tsunade-sama told me to take a walk around the village. She said that I should meet up with my friends here. Maybe I could meet Naruto-san."

"U- Unfortunately, team 7 is up on a mission right now... Every rookie team is busy," she explained.

"So, what are you doing here? You seem not in a mission," I asked.

"I'm on training, actually... team 8 is also in a mission... b- but _chichiue_ didn't allow me to go..."

"Why?" actually it's a simple question. But maybe it touched her so much that it was quite hard for her to answer. Because she looked quite pale when she did.

"Ch- _chichiue_... h- he told me to master the _Kaiten_ first... before I went in any mission... I- I hardly mastered to see the _Tenketsu_s... b- but _chichiue_ isn't satisfied with that... h- he want me to do more... the hard part in mastering _Kaiten_ is to release the chakra from every part of the body... which I couldn't..." she stared to the ground.

"Well. It seems I can't disturb you either. I think I should go. That Tsunade-sama is weird. She told me to explore Konoha to catch up with some friends, but didn't she know that no one is free?" I turned my back, readying to leave the field.

"W- Wait! I can be with you..." she said abruptly. I turned back to her, quite surprised.

"Aren't you on your training?" I asked. Unbelieving her will to accompany me.

"No, it's okay... I- I can do that later...Godaime-sama is a really nice person... She told you that because she doesn't want to see you bored... so I think I should help her a little... I will think at this as a fun mission..." She smiled, looking up at the azure sky with a peaceful stare, as if Tsunade-sama was there for watching her.

"Well then, I'm the mission target, _ne_?" I smirked quietly.

"R- Right, Gaara-kun..." she blushed.

I blinked.

"It seems you really like her..."

"Yes, I do. Especially the way she acknowledges Naruto-kun..." She shut her eyes closed, maybe she was remembering about Naruto-san.

"Why does Naruto-san... You seem really care about him," I asked abruptly.

"N- No! I... i- it's... w- well, I'm... I'm just happy that th- there is more people who acknowledge Na- Naruto-kun! I- um, th- that's normal, _ne_?" she blushed furiously.

"Uh, well..." I scratched my head, suddenly felt an awkward feeling, "Well... I don't know much about it. I think... I never felt being acknowledged."

"Y- You felt in that way too?" without I expected, she beamed at me. I was quite surprised to see her reaction.

"Quite a lot," I replied, "Why did you ask about this anyway?"

"I... uh, well... I felt the same as you... No one acknowledges me as me... th- they look at me as a 'Hyuuga', not 'Hinata'. But poor me... I am a failed Hyuuga," She stared blankly to the ground. Fell silent.

No one at us could speak. The silent moment between us kept flowing like a strong wave. Thus made me feel... _powerless_.

I could smack her down easily if I like, 'cause she had made me feel that way. The feeling I hated the most. _Weak_... _powerless_...

But somehow, I still could not do it.

Looking at her soft figure right now...

Watching the way she stared to the ground...

Seeing her blushed cheek...

Hearing the sound of her slow breath...

Somehow, it made me want to protect her. Be the strong figure that prevented her for any harm. Made sure that nothing bad had happened to her.

This was weird. I never felt about this before. The feeling of _protecting_.

"Hinata-san," I called. She turned her beautiful cloud coloured eyes on me. Did I say _beautiful_? Well, forget about it, I just slipped.

"Y- yes?" she replied.

"Why do you feel like that? Uh- you don't have to answer if you feel not it," I noticed the change on her face, and suddenly thought that I should turn the topic, "hey, the weather's nice, _ne_?" I said awkwardly, afraid that she would feel uneasy.

"Ga- Gaara-kun... the sky is cloudy now..."

"Eh?" I sweatdropped, "Eh? Uh, I mean the weather's quite... bad! Yeah, bad!" I scratched the back of my head.

"You are funny, Gaara-kun..." she smiled softly.

I didn't know what to reply, so I mumbled a 'thank you', which made her burst to a soft laughter.

"It's okay, Gaara-kun. I- I suppose you want to know why do I feel like unacknowledged, right?" she threw an understanding stare at me.

"Actually... it's yes, Hinata-san," I replied.

"Well... I could not tell you the complete story, but... a- at least I could tell you the hang of it... I- is it okay with you, Gaara-kun?"

"It's okay, honest," I nodded, "Why don't we go sit there under that Sakura tree?" I pointed at a spot behind the shuriken target.

She nodded. I walked before her and sat down, put off the sand vase on my back, and leaned against the tree trunk. Hinata-san kneeled about one and half meter away from me.

"Hinata-san, why don't you come closer? I couldn't hear you well in this distance," I gestured my hand to her, told her to move closer.

"O- oh... yes, s- _sumanai_..." she flushed and kneeled closer to me, now the range was about less than a meter.

"And also, don't kneel like that, Hinata-san... Just relax," I suggested.

She corrected her position, her face got even redder than before.

"So then, what's the story?" I asked, staring right to her cloud-coloured eyes. She lowered her head as I did this, her cheek flushed more brightly.

"But first, promise me that you wouldn't tell this to anyone else. _Chichiue_ will get really furious if I told about my self for unordinary man," she said.

"So, do you think I'm a stranger?" I said sarcastically, getting pretty annoyed for what she had said.

"N- No! It's not like you're a stranger! I- I never thought of you that way!" she said, voice getting higher without she expected, but somehow, I got really annoyed.

"I'm going now, Hinata-san. Tsume-san might have been waiting for me right now," I stood from where I sat. But my movement stopped when I felt her hands holding on my right hand sleeve.

"P- Please... d- don't go Gaara-kun! I- I'm sorry for what I had said... I d- don't mean to hurt you... I'm... so sorry... don't go, _onegai_..." She let my hand sleeves from her fist, now putting both of them on her knees. Her head bowed to the ground.

I sat back on my place, quiet abruptly 'cause she was so surprised when I got back.

"It's okay, I'll stay here," I hardly gave a thin smile.

"A- _arigatou_, Gaara-kun... and _sumanai_... for what I had said before... I- I never thought of you as stranger after things that happened between Suna and Konoha... I appreciate y- you... as my precious friend... Su- _sumanai yo_... Gaara-kun," she flushed.

My eyes got bigger in surprise. _She_? Thought at me as her precious friend?

"No need to say sorry, Hinata-san. I'm the one who should. Sorry then, Hinata-san... okay?" I apologized without daring my self to look at her. Apologizing is not a common thing for me.

"It's okay Gaara-kun... I'm happy you could understand me... not like _chichiue_..." her smile faded.

"Hmm? It seems that you're gonna start your story, ne? Burst it out then," I leaned again against the tree trunk, with my eyes watching her as she started her story.

"I- I am the first child in _Souke_ Hyuuga... that meant I should be the next Head Clan if _chichiue_ had passed... but _chichiue_... he never considered me as the next heir..."

"Why?" I cut.

"Th- that's because I am a weak Hyuuga... I don't have any requirement for the next heir... _chichiue_ always scolds at me that I bring shame to the Hyuuga clan..." she looked sad, I could see her face getting red, but it's not like as usual, caused by her shy behaviour, but now... her face contaminated by a deep sorrow.

"Why don't you quit being an heir?" _Suck_. I knew I had asked a really stupid question. It was going to turned her down.

"If I could, I would... beside, I have an _Imouto_ who is stronger than me... I didn't really like to be the next Head Clan too... but somehow... I can't do that..." she stared blankly, digging up some memory to be told.

"Why?" I asked again, getting pretty confused.

"It's about love, Gaara-kun... _love_... I love my _chichiue_... thus made me want to be what he wanted... I love my pretty _Imouto_, who always supporting me that I required to be the next Head Clan... I love my cousin, Neji-niisan who promised me that he would always protect me... I love all my friends and Naruto-kun, who believed in me... besides..." she stopped.

"Besides?" I asked.

"I would not run away again... that's my way..." I smiled when I heard the same statement that she had said to her cousin on the _Chuunin_ exam.

Somehow, she sighed.

"But my way... it's really hard... and hurt... I struggled for long to stand still... but I'm afraid that I can't survive... I'm really afraid, Gaara-kun..." she cried silently, I almost didn't notice that she was crying, if I had not seen her fallen tears.

"I'm rooting for you, Hinata-san," without thinking anymore for what I did, I wiped her tears with my fingers.

She looked at me in awe, absolutely surprised. She then tried to insist a smile, but more tears coming down without she expected.

"A- _arigatou_... Gaara-kun... I..." she cried. I moved my hand to the back of her head, and pulled her softly into a comforting embrace. I shoved her head on my chest, there she could cry as long as she like. I didn't mind...

"Someone once said to me... If you have any wound on your heart, cure it with love... you'll find it someday, Hinata-san... someone who is not only loved by you, but also love you back in the same way... I guarantee it..." I whispered to her ear, caressed her back softly to calm her down.

Minutes has passed. She kept crying in my embrace at some short moment. Then her cries turned too quiet sobs.

"Feel better now, Hinata-san?" I asked awkwardly, but I still didn't let her go from the embrace. I was afraid that she was still crying.

"Y- yes..." she whispered beneath my chest. Her fist clenched on the forward of my shirt.

"A... _arigatou_... Gaara-kun," she withdrew her body from the embrace. Now sitting on the ground. Her face getting redder than ever. Emotion complicated between shy and sad.

"_Do iteshimashita_, I'm glad if I could be any help." I added a smile and I was not insisting my self. Sincerely given to comfort her.

"Y- You know Gaara-kun... love is hurt... maybe only me who think of it that way..." she said in a sudden.

"No, Hinata-san. Me too... I've been betrayed by someone I loved the most. Someone who ever told me that I was the precious one around," I said with a trembling voice. Those old, hurt memories passed again.

"Who is it... Gaara-kun?" she hesitated when she ask this.

"Yashamaru. He is my uncle. However, he has died..."

"H- how...?"

"I killed him."

Hinata-san squeaked, unbelieving her ears.

"W- why... why did y- you...?" her eyes widened in shock.

"He was ordered to assassinate me by my father, the Kazekage. The civil of Sunagakure thought that my existence is dangerous, and I could risk the village in some kind of internal conflict," I explained.

Hinata-san shivered.

"So... you killed him b- because of that..."

"At first, I didn't know that it was him. Even when I did, I still believed that he did that because Father had insisted him to do so... but that's not it..." I sighed, giving a pause for a short moment, "Yashamaru said he had tried really hard to love me... But somehow he couldn't. I was not that kind who could be loved by him. Her sister, my mother it is, was death giving birth to me. So that's why he hated me."

Silentness spread upon us as I finished the story. Hinata-san and I didn't know how to react, until I decided to cut it off.

"Do you know, Hinata-san... the name Gaara means 'the monster who wouldn't be loved'. My mother gave me that name, carried the grudge of her death," I told her my biggest secret.

"... and that's right. I'm a monster... never been loved... feared by all..." I continued.

"Th- that's not right, Gaara-kun. If you do, then you wouldn't treat me like this... be- besides... both of us would find love someday..." she blushed.

"Thanks, Hinata-san... anyhow, you're right. Love is hurt..." I said.

"Know what, Gaara-kun... love is built from some small affection... for parable, like sand..." She said with a dreamy stare on her eyes.

"The sand?" I asked, confused.

"Yes... It's as small as sand... but when it become in a unity... it would be toughest ever... like your sand..." she smiled softly.

I nodded, understanding what that she had said.

"But... when it reversed... it will be really hurt... L- like when you attacked someone with your sand..." Hinata-san now completely looked at me with a deep loneliness.

"You right, Hinata-san. Love might be relieving, but when it reversed, it hurts the most," I nodded softly.

"B- but maybe it'll be like you had said before Gaara-kun... someday I, and you... both of us will find love... the one like you said before, which we loved and loved back…" she smiled, encouraging both of us.

"Yeah... maybe."

The two of us fell silent. An awkward silent.

"Hey, Hinata-san," I called.

"Y- yes? What is it, Gaara-kun?" she turned her eyes on me.

"You said you're on your training, _ne_?"

"Y- yes," she corrected.

"Then, let me help you with it. I've ever seen a _Kaiten_ before, and it's a great defence. The best condition to activate it is when there is an attack which surround us. So, I think I would use the _Sabakukyuu_ to help you with your training," I explained.

"Sa- _Sabakukyuu_...?" she startled, "I- I've ever saw that _jutsu_ be- before... I... well..." she hesitated.

"Don't worry Hinata-san. I promise I won't hurt you. Everything will be okay," I comforted her.

"Well... I believe in you, Gaara-kun," She stood from her seat, "N- now let's start it, _ne_?"

"On your order, Hinata-sama," I joked without the tone of joking. I wondered if she knew that I was joking.

She took her stance, standing about five meters away from me.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"I- I'm ready whenever it is, Gaara-kun!"

"Try your best, Hinata-san! I know you can do that! Concentrate on your _chakra_!" I encouraged her. Her eyes reflected the spirit of her will.

She mimicked the _tori_ seal, and mentioned '_Byakugan_'. The next thing happened, her _Byakugan_ had been activated. The _Jyuuken_ stance looked strong enough too release the _Kaiten_.

I pulled the tube of my sand vase, and let the sand spread out on the open air. Concentrating on my _chakra_, I motioned my hand towards her, and the move mimicked by the sand. In a fast speed approached her.

Before the sand wrapped her in _Sabakukyuu no jutsu_, she had already spun her body. Released the _chakra_ from the _Tenketsu_s. No use, the sand had already covered her now. I startled. I lost control of the sand! Hinata-san could be dead!

"Hinata-san!" I shouted, and dashed towards her already covered body. No! I didn't mean to kill her! I DIDN'T!

The Sabakukyuu had already on her perfectly right now. No sign of gesture showed that she was alive… I couldn't do anything…

Why…? WHY? WHY DID IT HAPPEN AGAIN? I didn't want it to be ended like this. I stared blankly on the _Sabakukyuu_, unblinked. But for the next tense seconds, the sand had spread around. The _Sabakukyuu_… destroyed by her… Hinata-san's _Kaiten_!

"Hinata-san…" I relieved that she was safe.

She panted. Exhausted as she had mastered the _Kaiten_.

"Hinata-san? Are you okay?" I asked, approached her closer.

"I… I did it, Gaara-kun! I really did it! I- I HAD MASTERED THE KAITEN!" She flung her arms around my neck. I who wasn't ready for the sudden hug, lost my balance and both of us fell to the ground, her body was on top of me. She might have been so happy, that she had forgotten her timid and soft behaviour.

"That was great, Hinata-san!" I praised and patted my hand awkwardly on her head.

She startled. Fully awaken that she had hug me. Quickly, she released my self from the hug.

"_Sumimasen_, Gaara-kun…" she blushed, her face getting hot. I could feel the degree around her rose in a sudden moment.

"It's okay, Hinata-san," _Hell_, I lied. It was not okay. I was secretly disappointed when she withdrew the hug.

I stared at her kneeling figure. The zip on her jacket had been opened when she did the _Kaiten_. I saw it beneath her _hitai-ate_, she was wearing a necklace. But there was no pendant adorned it. Quite weird. I remembered that Temari-neesan ever said that girls didn't like to wear a necklace without pendant.

"Where's the pendant, Hinata-san?" I asked in a sudden.

"O- oh… you mean th- this?" She touched her necklace.

I nodded.

"Actually… i- it should be the pendant of Hyuuga symbol, but _chichiue_… he told me not to wear it before he decided if I would fit to be the next head clan…" she explained in a trembling voice.

I mouthed an oh'. And without really thinking anymore, I concentrated the _chakra_ around my right fist, collecting some sand that spread around us.

"Well, Hinata-san, why don't you take this?"

"T- take what…?"

"This," I opened my fist. There she saw a pendant made by the sand. The same _Ai_' _kanji_ on my forehead was carved on the pendant.

She blushed furiously.

"Why… Gaara-kun?" she asked in small voice.

"Take that as a token of our promise… that we would find the love' we search for, someday…" I smiled.

Her tears fell slowly from the corner of her beautiful cloud coloured eyes. Did I say _beautiful_? Well, I was not slipped again this time.

"Arigatou, Gaara-kun… arigatou…" She hold me in a soft embrace. And I didn't ignore her. Somehow, I had waiting that hug for long.

I was on a mission right now in Konohagakure. It's not like the mission before, where my job was guarding Tsume-san on an important meeting. No, I wouldn't do that anymore. Now that I had been the Kazekage from Sunagakure.

I had already attended the meeting with Godaime Hokage. Tsunade-sama had said that Konoha was open for me right now, so I decided to take a walk for wherever my steps lead me.

And I arrived again on _Sabaibaru_ field.

But no Hinata was there.

I was about to leave the Sabaibaru field, when I heard a hesitated voice greeted me.

"Ga- Gaara-kun, _ne_…?"

"Hai, Hinata-san," I turned at her. She wore a beautiful soft blue kimono that fit perfectly with her hair. I could see the same necklace she wore six years ago. But the pendant clung on there was not the _Ai_' pendant I gave her before. It had changed to the pendant of Hyuuga symbol. Her _chichiue_ might had been announced her as the next Head Clan of the Hyuuga.

Somehow, I had been secretly expecting her to wear the pendant I gave her before. But now to saw the true fact, I was really disappointed.

"I- it has been a long time… Years passed so slow… I couldn't bear to miss you this much… I… I'm happy to see you again…" I could see her getting nervous, and she played with the hem of her upper kimono. There, on the bracelet she wore on her right wrist, I saw the pendant I gave her. The one claimed as the token of our promise.

"You still had the pendant with you?" I asked in a sudden.

"Y- yes… of course… how could I ever forget…?" she smiled shyly.

"So, have you found the love, Hinata-san?" I asked curiously.

She shook her head, "No, I haven't… How could I manage to find it… when the loved one was away from me…?"

My forehead wrinkled.

"You mean?"

"I missed you so much, Gaara-kun…" she walked closer to me. I could see her eyes blurred with tears. Not in a sorrow, but the happiness.

"I missed you too, Hinata-san," I hold her in a tight embrace. The one that represent all my feeling I held for years. The feeling that made me know… this was the love I've searched for long…

"_Aishiteru_, Hinata-san…" I whispered on her ear.

Somehow, she didn't answer it. But, I didn't need the answer, when our lips touched. Fell into a kiss that full of longing, the waiting, the sadness, the missing, and the _love_…

I remembered again with what she had said six years ago.

"_Know what, Gaara-san... love is built from some small affection... for parable, like sand... but when it become in a unity... it would be toughest ever..."_

Owari

AN: Review please. I'm sorry it's not a NejiHina. It's not like I don't like em, I really do! But now my idea flowing for GaaraHina. Don't mad at me. I promise the next would be NejiHina. Keep reading on my fic then, _matta ne_


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